I have been asked more than once about the "Orb"
phenomena. I have been asked to look at pictures to determine if the spot is an
orb or a piece of dust. As a paranormal investigator it is difficult sometimes
to determine what is dust and what is a spirit. No one truly knows what orbs
are. "Orbs" can appear in many different shapes and colors,
with white orbs being the most common.As
a Paranormal Investigator I do believe that some of these orbs are the
lingering energy from the deceased and gone. I also know
that not all "orbs" that appear in photographs are paranormal.
In my experience, many of the orbs that appear in photographs can be explained
by the flash reflecting off dust, particles, insects, or moisture droplets in
the air in front of the camera. I think that seeing "orbs" with
your own eyes and in person is far more credible and harder to debunk than
catching them in photos or video. If you see a bright, glowing orb with your
own eyes, and you get an EVP along with it then there's a good chance that it
may be paranormal. As a Paranormal Investigator I must be very cautious when
classifying orbs in photographs as paranormal – it's simply too easy for the
"orbs" in a photograph to be caused by dust or moisture, reflecting
off the camera lens (or the flash).

Another question I often get asked about these "orbs" is
what do the different colors mean. I have researched this a bit and have found
that there are several different theories that may explain the color
differences. The two main theories are listed a below.

Theory #1 – Color
difference in orbs is caused by "chromatic distortion" which is a
fancy way of saying that our eyes perceive different wavelengths and shapes as
varying colors. If a particle happens to be of a certain makeup or shape,
it will tend to absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect others, thus
giving the perception of a certain color. The makeup of the orb could also
cause it to be a certain color. Dust and water droplets can have various
colors.

Theory #2 – Some
Paranormal investigators believe that color in an orb is caused by the spirits
energy. For example they believe that red orb represents a spirit who is angry
or is in need of healing. Others believe that red is a color associated with an
energy that seems to be on guard often watching over a last outpost, or a loved
one who has passed. This theory is still in a very experimental stage, yet it
does to prove very fascinating in cases where previous knowledge of the spirit
is available and known. I don't believe that there is evidence to suggest that
red orbs are harmful or more negative than white orbs. The color
difference may simply be a reflection of the spirit's energy at the time of his
death—or the color may be caused by the shape/frequency of the orb (wavelength
theory #1). There is actually a chart that someone has put together that shows
the color of the "orb" at what that particular color means. You can
find this on the last page of this.

So as Paranormal Investigators what do we do with these two
theories. I think as an investigator we need to hold both theories as
possibilities. I think it is in our best interest to also share these theories
with other team members. During an investigation and it starts to rain then we
will know that most of the orbs that were caught will fall under theory 1. If
we are investigating a house or an old building and you notice that every time
the air comes on or you take a step there is dust that get stirred up then
again this will fall under theory 1. So how do we apply theory 2? I believe
that while on an investigation and all of the natural obstacles have been
pointed out and noted then we could maybe apply theory 2. If we know that the
spirit was an angry or short tempered person when he lived then catching a red
orb in a photo could have validity.

I personally think that
there is something to this orb phenomena. I am not to yet convinced about the
color identification/classification of them. I really have a few of my own
theories. It could be that this is the only way that this particular spirit can
manifest and there is no reason for the color. Maybe these orbs are just a
phase in which these spirits have to take prior to moving on. What if the color
of the orb was determined by situation surrounding it, If an investigator is
angry about something could the orb pick up this negative energy a become red
in color? It could be as easy as it's the best way for them to move around. There
always seems to be more questions than answers when it comes to the paranormal
field. I don't know about anyone else but that is why I became a Paranormal Investigator.
I want to find the answers others fear.